The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Andros Townsend has withdrawn from the England Under-21 squad for this summer's European Championship after being charged with breaching betting regulations by the Football Association.

The charges against Townsend, who was on loan at Queens Park Rangers last season, are believed not to relate to match fixing or placing bets on matches in which he was involved. Instead, he is alleged to have broken the FA's rules on betting on competitions in which he was involved.

Townsend, who will undergo rehabilitation, is believed to be the first Premier League player to be charged with breaking betting rules and could face a fine or a ban.

"The Tottenham Hotspur player has been charged with breaches of Rule E8 (b) in relation to a number of betting offences. The player has until 3 June to respond to the charges," the FA said.

A separate statement from the FA said: "Townsend will receive the full support of the FA and Tottenham Hotspur FC in seeking rehabilitation whilst responding to the allegations."

The 21-year-old winger will be replaced in the England Under-21 squad for the tournament in Israel by Birmingham's Nathan Redmond.

Townsend joined Spurs at the age of nine in 2000 and his spell at QPR was generally viewed as one of the few bright spots in a dismal season for the relegated club, as he scored twice in 12 games.

The FA's rules do not ban betting on football outright but prevent players from placing a wager on any competition "in which the participant is participating, or has participated in that season" or "in which the participant has any influence, either direct or indirect".

Football's gambling culture has come under increasing scrutiny as the salaries of players have soared, with some calling for an outright ban on any betting by professional players in order to protect the image of the sport and prevent problem gambling.

Harry Redknapp, the former Spurs manager who took the player to QPR on loan, said he was shocked. "I just wouldn't have had him down as a gambler, but you don't know what goes on when players leave the training ground," he said. "If I had been asked to pick 20 footballers who like a bet on the football I wouldn't have picked him, that's for sure."

Redknapp added: "The main thing is that he didn't bet on QPR's matches by the looks of things, but it sounds like he's got a real problem over something. I don't know what drags footballers into these kinds of problems, but he will need some support after this."

A report by the former Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry for the department of culture, media and sport in 2010 said it should be left to individual sports to draw up regulations governing betting but recommended improved minimum standards.

Some sports ban betting by professional players outright, as do some overseas governments. Others, such as football, ban players from betting on competitions in which they take part while others still allow players to bet on themselves to win.